


Life

by PyramidHead316



Series: The Dark Descent universe [2]
Category: Silent Hill
Genre: AU, Aftermath, Alessa as a filmmaker, Alessa makes a movie!, Canon Divergence, Different time periods in Alessa's life, F/F, Gen, Meta, Multi, Post-Dark Descent, Vignettes, movie discussions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-27
Updated: 2016-01-09
Packaged: 2018-02-10 14:51:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2029155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PyramidHead316/pseuds/PyramidHead316
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Different scenes in the life of Alessa Gillespie, and those closest to her, in a timeline both familiar and different from the canon.</p><p> </p><p>Note: Reading Silent Hill: Dark Descent first is recommended. If you don't like the AU, this may not be for you. Fair warning has been given.  ;-)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Vignettes - Part I

**Author's Note:**

> _Disclaimer: Silent Hill is owned by Konami. I make no money from the writing from this fic. All original characters belong to me._
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>  **Note:** This story is basically a series of scenes, or short stories, in the life of Alessa in my Silent Hill: Dark Descent AU. Some of them have nothing to do with Silent Hill, and others are very much set in Silent Hill. So be forewarned, you already know what you're reading. :) It's just character building. Some of them are for humor, others are serious, some are smut, and some are just crazy scenes that don't fit in any one category. I may also use this as a dumping ground for scenes showing how things could have gone differently, in Dark Descent. I like to do that. :-) Feedback is encouraged, as long as you realize that no amount of criticism is going to get me to write Silent Hill only stories, according to the canon. The whole point of the 'Dark Descent' AU is that Alessa has her own life, beyond just two battles against the Order. It would make no sense to concentrate just on those two battles. :-)
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>  **Note 2, 11/09/15:** After quite a while, I've finally gotten around to updating this fic, readers. :-) I kinda wanted to do 'Dark Descent' or 'Forbidden Longing' first, but I'm very out of practice. I figure this would be a nice way to get back into the swing of things, so that I can update 'Dark Descent' or 'Forbidden Longing' (my Star Wars fic) later on. I've also decided to include scenes from characters other than Alessa, since they're all interconnected. They won't be many, but you may see for example, Cybil pop up, or Henry, or yes, even Harry. One thing I'm considering doing is labeling the fics that take place in Silent Hill, or have something to do with Silent Hill, and separating them into different chapters, so that you can read only those if you like. Let me know what you think. :-) For example, the next story in the series is titled 'Walter Sullivan'.
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> AN2, 10/12/14: This fic has now been expanded to also include moments from earlier times in Alessa's life. So you will now see vignettes from during Alessa's time in high school, taking place during Dark Descent, and long after Dark Descent has finished all throughout the fic. Maybe even some during her early childhood. Anything's up for grabs! It all depends on what I'm thinking at the time. I hope you enjoy the change, and that these scenes bring you greater insight into my version of Alessa and the universe taking place here. ;-)
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> The second vignette may seem like nothing SH-related, but remember that this is 7 years after Dark Descent (in 2012)! So it's just a bit of fun with the characters, making a statement on a modern movie. It's not meant to be taken seriously at all. Have fun with it, guys! ;-D
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> For people of the GLBT community, the 'D' word is used in the third vignette. So for people who are sensitive to that, be forewarned. You may want to skip that paragraph. ;-)
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> Anonymous comments are allowed, but do remember to be polite. That's what separates you from fanfiction.net. ;-)

**Pictures of You**

 

26\. ‘Hellraiser’

 

_The music on the screen swelled to dramatic heights, as Frank was fucking Julia with reckless abandon. The scene was harsh, smoldering, and very, very sexy._

Lisa felt the urge to cross her legs, as she felt a certain tingle below her waist. So much skin-on-skin, the music, the mood, the contrast between the two scenes…the ongoing scene was certainly having an effect on her, and one she didn’t expect.

Alessa looked at her. “You know, I got a tingle between my legs the first time I watched this. It didn’t help that I was watching it with my dad,” Alessa said, smiling a bit in recollection. “That certainly made things a bit uncomfortable,” she said, shaking her head a bit at the uncomfortable mood that had developed during that time.

“Claire Higgins is hot. I wonder what she looks like now?” Alessa wondered, thinking of the woman who looked so smoldering on screen.

“Probably old. This was filmed in 1987,” Lisa said, shattering her girlfriend’s belief a bit. The woman may have looked hot, but she had no doubt she had aged significantly since that time.

“Oh, come on! It can’t be that bad,” Alessa protested. They had even shown her nipple and everything! That took real courage to do, even if it was just one scene and you were only exposed for a few seconds, rather than it being a very long one. She doubted the woman would let herself go after that.

Of course, there was another issue to address. Claire’s performance wasn’t the only notable thing about the scene, and there was plenty of material to pick up on.

Alessa smirked. “It’s funny how that shadow falls right between his legs, meanwhile her ass is fully exposed in the light. A perfectly placed shadow right between his legs. Why can’t they show his dick? Either Sean Chapman’s really shy, or else they just really didn’t want to upset the morality committees. I guess full-frontal nudity wasn’t for males in that area,” she said.

“Probably to fit in with the censorship laws at the time,” Lisa explained to her. It wasn’t a difficult question to answer.

Alessa continued anyway. “They completely concealed his balls, and his penis. Meanwhile, she has her breasts, her rear, and her entire body exposed in lighted clarity. I know it’s because of the censorship issues, but it’s a complete double standard! I guess Claire Higgins was okay to show her body, but it still sucks. The strange thing is that Clive Barker is gay. You’d think he’d be down for that. I guess even he was afraid to ruffle the censors,” Alessa protested, frowning to herself a bit at the thought of the idea. She knew she sounded like she was whining a bit, but she hated the thought of artists censoring themselves because of prudeness.

Lisa’s eyes widened in their sockets. “Clive Barker’s gay?” she asked, sounding a bit naïve in her tone.

Alessa smiled. “Yep. I’m sorry, Lisa. Clive Barker is gay. Why, you’ve got a little crush on Clive Barker, or something?” she asked, smiling a bit in amusement at her nurse girlfriend who suddenly looked like the floor had been dropped under her.

Lisa colored in blushing embarrassment. “No! I’d never seen any of his work. I just heard about him, and I admire any artist willing to put himself out there,” she said, a bit embarrassed at her admission. She hated it when someone called her out on her obvious admirations. She’d wanted to read some of the author’s stories, because it sounded like he was doing some really interesting ideas, but the truth was she had simply been too scared to do so; she was a scaredy-cat.

“Why are you interested in penises, anyway? I thought you were mainly interested in women. I thought you didn’t like any guy?” Lisa questioned simply. Time to change the subject.

“I never said I didn’t like all guys! I just only like a few guys,” Alessa protested, muttering disgustedly.

They continued to watch the scene. “Julia’s pretty stupid for following him. What does she see in him?” Alessa asked, frowning lowly. “I guess it’s the sex, but I can’t imagine that would be enough for her to betray everything she knows like this, when she has Larry,” she commented, staring hard at the screen.

It wasn’t an uncomfortable mystery to Lisa. “Some people are like that. They find something physical they really like, and they’ll do anything to keep it,” Lisa said in casual understanding, shrugging her shoulders a bit at the thought. She knew she should be disturbed by what Alessa was implying, but the truth was she could understand how someone would be infatuated with physical pleasures enough to risk everything they have. She’d had far too much experience with it in her life.

They watched as Julia pledged herself to Frank, vowing to do whatever was necessary when he needed. Alessa turned to Lisa. “Would you do whatever I wanted you to, if I asked?” she asked sweetly, staring into her eyes. She waited for her answer.

“No,” Lisa said. Alessa raised her eyebrows.

“If you ask me to do something that is completely immoral and illegal, I’m not going to do it. I love you, Alessa. Part of that love means respecting my boundaries. You have to accept that I’m not going to do every single thing you tell me to do. There are some things you should never ask me to do. I’m not going to kill for you or hurt someone, unless it’s absolutely necessary, because that’s against my moral standing of values. I am a nurse and I’m supposed to venerate human life. I know I was a crappy one in the past, but I still believe in those principles and I’m trying to live up to them. That applies to more intimate, personal things as well. I’m not going to do every single thing that you ask me to. Part of loving me is accepting that you cannot control every single thing someone does. That’s where compromise comes in, and we negotiate on things. Are you understanding what I’m saying to you? You have to respect my boundaries, as a human being and as your girlfriend. That’s the only way any sort of relationship, friendly or otherwise, is going to work,” Lisa explained lengthily, staring deep into her eyes with a serious look.

Alessa stared at the woman who had just expressed so much emotion openly. “That’s who I love,” she said, curving her lips into a smile.

Alessa and Lisa shared a tender kiss, clenching hands with each other while they shared the soft gesture of affection. They cuddled together on the bed again, resuming their ritual of watching the movie and discussing various subjects while they lay entangled softly in each other’s arms. The only thing that could have made this closeness better in Alessa’s opinion was if they were skin to skin, but she would settle for this. Jeans and sweaters weren’t bad for watching a movie, and they were actually kinda comfy. Alessa pressed the remote, and the movie resumed on its journey, showing Julia’s recollections of Frank from years past.

“Now, let’s get ready to watch the greatest resurrection scene in the history of special effects in movies in modern cinema.”

 

30\. Disappointment (2012)

 

The movie theater was open for business. The sign above the ticket windows read _The Avengers_. Amid all of the movies showing that day, that one stood out proudly like the gem of all the showings that day. The banner was huge and colorful, and highlighted all of the heroes in the assembled group.

Alessa skipped eagerly to the vicinity of the theater. She was looking forward to this. Her energy was uncontrollable, exuberantly emanating out of her with every step. She was practically glowing with childlike enthusiasm.

Chris followed behind her at a more leisurely pace. The two soon stood a few meters away from the theater, grinning together with enthusiasm.

“I can’t believe it’s finally happening,” Alessa said, clenching her fists eagerly with pounding energy. “I’ve been waiting my entire life for this!” She paused to contemplate that for a moment. “Well, ever since my awakening, when I became aware of them,” she amended, shifting uncomfortably a bit.

Chris smiled at her. “Kid, I’ve been waiting 20 years for this moment,” he said, knowingly smirking at her. His anticipation for this movie easily outstripped her years of longing for this movie, considering how long he had been reading those comics for.

“I never thought it would come, to be honest,” Chris admitted. He couldn’t believe this movie had actually been made.

Julie had decided not to come, since while she had liked the other movies and had a profound appreciation for a certain Captain, she wasn’t a huge fan, and Lisa had declined. That meant the two had decided to turn this into an opportunity for father-daughter bonding.

“Well, then, what are we waiting for!” Alessa grinned at him, taking his hands in eager exuberance. She was almost jumping up with bubbling energy.

Chris smiled at the image of seeing his daughter so young. It almost made him forget that she had been through all the things that she had.

The two headed off to the theater in the mall, stepping with boundless energy for what was probably the most significant movie of their lifetimes, at least for them.

 

~

 

_Two and a half hours later (more or less)_

 

The two walked out of the theater with a calm, much more measured step than they had before. The lack of energetic exuberance compared to how they had been before, and the frowns on their faces would have been a telling sign to any bystanders who had been watching them as to what happened inside.

Chris walked with a slow, thoughtful stride. “Huh.” The expression on his face was difficult to decipher.

The young woman beside him had a troubled and confusing expression on her face. “There’s something missing,” Alessa said, daring to say what both of them had been thinking, and neither one of them had dared to say up until that moment. It was true. Despite their best efforts, there was just…something missing, and she couldn’t put her finger on it.

To the blond man, the obvious answer was apparent. “I think what’s missing is a deeper plot,” Chris commented, frowning at the thought, as though it was an unpleasant odor.

The young woman shook her head. “Yeah, I guess,” Alessa said, looking down thoughtfully at the ground. It was a glum feeling but she supposed that was definitely hitting the nail on the head. She didn’t want to admit it, but the movie definitely could have used a tighter story.

“Why didn’t they give Thor anything more to do?” Alessa wondered, frowning at the thought. “He was just there to be fighting!” She knew it was a minor complaint, but she still wished they’d done more with the Thunder God, rather than him just standing around.

Her dad spoke up. “Well, he was there to apprehend Loki,” Chris shrugged, pointing out the obvious in the story, with an indifferent look on his face.

“Yeah, I guess,” Alessa said, looking down glumly at the floor. She knew that was true, but, she reasoned rationally in her consciousness, she expected more.

There was an awkward silence.

“Thor was badass,” Alessa said finally, to fill the silence.

“I liked Black Widow’s role in the film,” Chris said, musing on the subject with a contemplative expression. “I knew a chick in the army who could do all those maneuvers, and then some,” he said.

Alessa nodded, not really finding it within herself to disagree. He was correct on that account.

The conversation stilled for a moment.

“Maybe it’ll be better the second time around, on DVD,” Alessa said, fervently hoping that was the case. She really hoped that was the case. God damn it, she just could not accept the reality of what was happening. She had to see the positive side of this, because there was no other choice. She had waited so long for this. She had built it up in her mind, and the experience was less than perfect. Now she had to decide what to do. It wasn’t what she expected. It wasn’t even what she’d hoped for, and the enormity of that was something that was a little difficult to take right now. She didn’t know what to say. It left her with a lingering, vacant feeling. Alessa frowned.

“Yeah, maybe,” Chris said noncommittally, assuming an indifferent expression on his face.

Alessa frowned. The mall around her now seemed a lot drearier than before. There was a glum feeling that she could not shake, and the air definitely took the spring out of her step. The afternoon had been shot to hell, in a way she didn’t expect, and now she didn’t know what to do. _So this is what disappointment feels like_ , Alessa thought depressingly, sighing internally with melancholy. She had experienced it before, but never in such an unexpected way. It had been disappointing when Melissa dumped her, but that didn’t compare. At least that had only lasted 2 years. She had waited for this for 12. Okay, so maybe that was an exaggeration, but it was still pretty disheartening. The disappointment was crushing. Considering her long string of disappointments in her life so far, she didn’t know why she’d be surprised about this. She should have expected this. Everything else in her life had been a disappointment, so why not this? _Damn you, Joss Whedon_ , she cursed silently. What would she do now? She supposed she would have to live with it, and see if the situation got better later. In the meantime, she would pick herself up and trudge over to the food court, for such much needed morale boosters. Alessa sighed with clear realization.

Perhaps next time she would learn to lower her expectations.

 

14\. ‘Silent Hill’ (2002)

 

The blackboard loomed large behind her. Alessa stood at the front of the classroom. Twenty two pairs of eyes stared at her with their attention focused on her, making her feel slightly uncomfortable. Other than that time when she’d taken over her school’s Sex Ed class and given people the right information, she wasn’t much for presentations.

At the desk in the corner, their home room teacher was making the final preparations. He was looking over papers, checking forms and generally going over every detail of the project. There was a nervous energy about him, although it was subtle and well masked.

Mr. Maxwell came over to the board, having finished waiting. He stood beside Alessa, and she shifted a bit nervously. “Today we have a special presentation from Ms. Alessa Summers,” he addressed the students in the classroom, staring at each of the students with a stern expression. “You were all issued forms to sign by your parents, in order to watch this movie, and avoid any potential legal problems resulting from this. Those forms have now been signed and returned, and you are all cleared to watch this film now. That should avoid any problems from this,” he said, shrugging his shoulders a minute amount. He sighed, because it was obvious that they weren’t entirely sure that problems weren’t going to result from this. Alessa could see that he was nervous, and so was she for that matter.

The instructor continued. “As you know, the project here was to create a short, one-hour movie upon which we could base your skills at expression with modern technology and demonstrate all that you’ve learned throughout the year. Alessa’s film far exceeded the small budget and requirements allowed for your little project, however, we have made special arrangements with the Headmaster and the film will be shown as scheduled, as part of the project. For those of you who are worried that the production values will automatically catapult Alessa to the top and make her have the best grade,” he gave a meaningful glance at the students, “don’t worry, Alessa’s film will be graded on the same merits of plot, production, and expression, the same as everybody else. That being said, if you’re squeamish, I suggest you get out of here now,” he said, meaningfully. He gestured at the brunette student with a sweep of his hand. “Ms. Alessa, take it away.”

The teacher walked away to his desk. “Thank you,” Alessa prepared herself for the presentation.

Alessa sighed. She already knew what these people thought of her. This wasn’t going to help matters. Alessa took a deep breath. She was going to show a horror movie, in a school where a horror movie had never been shown in its entire history. It was an intimidating thought. She forced herself to remain calm. Time to get to work.

She stepped up. “I first wanted to make this movie since I was 14 years old. When the project for our class was announced, I figured the time had come to finally make it. I was going to submit this to the Ontario film festival, but when this project came up, I figured why not take the chance and do both? I figured it would at least save me from having to do two movies. The movie cost $5,000 and exceeded the guidelines of the project, but I made special arrangements with the Headmaster, and he agreed to let me show this movie in class for the project. If all goes well with you, I will submit it to the film festival for consideration, and see if it’s accepted. I really wanted to make this movie,” Alessa smiled, addressing the classmates clearly. She smiled at the light moment of humor in the middle of her speech, and then again upon the mention of the lengths she had to go to make this movie. She knew her enthusiasm was showing, and it actually served to calm her nerves radically. She took a deep breath. Now the moment drew closer.

Alessa moved out of the way. She could see the expressions of confusion and anxiousness on their faces, and they were all wearing the same question in unison.

What exactly were they going to see?

Mr. Maxwell sat anxiously on the desk. He had seen the movie, or parts of it at least, and Alessa could see he was still nervous about how this was going to go down. She couldn’t blame him; this was a tough risk. If something went wrong and one of the girls overreacted, it was all on him.

The image began to play. Alessa sat down next to the students in the classroom.

“Alessa? What the hell are we going to see?” David spoke up from his seat.

Alessa didn’t answer him. She thought about saying to him “Hell. That’s what you’re going to see,” or something like that, but she decided against it. Silence was his only response.

The title came on the screen, against the white background.

“‘Silent Hill’? Isn’t that that abandoned town in Maine?” a black haired girl with a ditzy look on her face asked, staring hard at the title screen.

“Yes, it is,” Alessa responded quietly.

An uncomfortable feeling settled over the general audience. Even among those who didn’t believe in the supernatural, Silent Hill was infamous as a town that you most definitely wanted to avoid. It was considered to be a haunted town, strange creatures were sighted in the fog, people disappeared by the hundreds in there, and demons were even rumored to walk the streets in broad daylight. It was an unnerving thought, to say the least, and the idea that they were going to see something related to it was disturbing.

The lights were dimmed slightly, giving it a unique aura with which to watch the approaching film.

With apprehension, wondering what they had gotten themselves into, the classroom settled down to watch the movie.

Alessa waited patiently.

 

~

 

_The scene was struck against the backdrop of an industrial hell, as the hospital had been transformed into a twisted person’s worst nightmare. The setting was dark, grim, and dangerous. The young woman dressed in a red and white nurse’s outfit ran through the nightmare, stumbling over herself, and pleading for anyone who would listen to help her. Lisa screamed for help, unable to believe what was surrounding her, as she found herself in this hell on Earth. The young woman didn’t notice, in her haste to flee, the alcove near the end, where a tall monstrous creature had just emerged with a knife of great proportions in his hand._

The classroom was dead silent. Not a sound could be heard as the alumni were all hunched forward to watch the movie. A pin drop could have been heard as a great disturbance, among the eerie calm of the classroom.

Twenty three pairs of eyes were glued to the screen, riveted by what was going on in the movie. The fascination was rapt in the room. Alessa smirked proudly to herself; she knew she had them. Ever since she saw the way in which their eyes became attracted to the horrible scenario playing out in front of them, she knew she had them. Alessa was usually thought of as being a weirdo, or that ‘tough ass dyke’ by the lesser minded students, but right now they were respecting her ability.

_The young nurse fled into an abandoned room. She had barricaded herself in the room, and was now cowering in the corner, hoping that the makeshift barrier would be enough to protect her from the insanity lurking outside. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. There was the sound of metal loudly being dragged along the ground, resonating through the walls. There was a loud growl, as the monstrous hand tore through the wall, searching for its victim. Lisa frantically searched along on the ground for anything she could use to defend herself. The selection was large and varied, but many of the objects were fragile and the executioner was rapidly closing in on her._

The classroom was on the edge of their seats. The tension was almost palpable in the air. Some of the students were almost biting their nails, from the tension, while they stared at the television screen. Finally, one of them couldn’t stand it anymore. The sense of dread building from the horrible scenario unfolding on screen had everyone on edge, afraid to move an inch lest they miss anything vital.

The brunette student almost stood up from her desk. “Grab the scalpel, you idiot!” Lizzie shouted out, leaning heavily across her desk.

An entire wave of annoyance swept across the classroom. “Shhhh!” Everyone silenced her at once, motioning with their fingers for her to keep quiet.

The brunette cringed back in embarrassment. “Sorry,” she apologized, with a sheepish look on her face.

Alessa smirked from her seat. The fact that everybody was so involved in the movie meant that she had clearly done her job.

She settled back to watch the conclusion, feeling a growing sense of something resembling dread upon the upcoming scenes. She had had fun with the movie so far, but the mood was growing a lot more somber now.

This was the hardest part.

She wondered how she would react upon seeing the scenes; if she would somehow make it through without crying at her past loss.

Time to get on with it.

 

~

 

_The young nurse burst into the room. The room was dark and dreary as always, smelling of antiseptic and mold, and the horrible smell of someone barely surviving in a burned state. The girl at the center of the room lay immobile. Burns covered the entirety of her body, rendering her skin a crusty charcoal black. Yet, her heart steadily beat. The bandages hid most of her burns, but some of it was still visible through the openings. The bandages could only help so much, and hide so much. Lisa winced at what she was about to do. She crept along until she reached the bed, taking shaky steps from the sheer tiring ordeal that she had been through only a few hours before._

_Lisa leaned over the bed of her tormented patient. The enormity of it was on her shoulders. She knew what she was about to do. She felt revulsion at what she was about to do, but she knew she didn’t truly have a reason to regret it. Alyssa wanted it this way. She felt tears pour from her eyes, blurring her vision all across the board. Lisa cupped the young girl’s hand. The girl had so much to live for; she had never seen a movie in a theater, would never go to a dance at school, have fun dating a boyfriend, or enjoy many other facets of life, but it was not to be. She knew the injury was too extensive, the wounds too severe; she would never recover, no matter what Lisa did. There was no hope for her, save one. Lisa leaned down close to the girl. “I’m sorry, Alyssa,” she said, voice calm with regret. She waited until she was ready, and then she took a deep breath._

_And then she sprung into action._

_She wrapped her hand around Alyssa’s throat, and began to squeeze. Lisa gritted her teeth while she grimaced, as she dug her fingers in deep. The monitor began to go wild from the trauma being inflicted, and she thought that at any moment she would hear it go dead. The patient was being deprived of oxygen at an alarming rate. Lisa put all her strength into it, squeezing hard while constricting the little girl’s throat. Yet no matter how hard she pushed, the patient’s status would not budge. The monitor would not flatline. Lisa stared in horror. No matter what she did, the patient would not die._

_A voice emanated in the room, coming from everywhere in the room and yet nowhere at the same time. “He won’t let me die,” the voice whispered in a hushed tone. The nurse recognized it as the little girl’s she was taking care of. “As long as he is inside me, he won’t let me die,” the girl said plainly, and the nurse could hear the sadness in her voice. It almost sounded like she was giving up._

_Lisa stared in horror. It wasn’t going to work. All the effort that she made, it wasn’t going to work. No matter what she did, she wasn’t going to be able to release Alyssa._

_No, she couldn’t give up now. She shook her head in denial. There had to be another way._

_Lisa looked around frantically, searching for anything else she could use. Syringes, scalpels, and various items were scattered around on the counter behind Alyssa’s bed, from all the treatment she had to give her. Lisa spotted the pillow laying under the burnt girl’s head, presenting a tempting target. Maybe that would work? Surely the girl’s body couldn’t resist that much damage to its respiratory system, no matter what that god inside her did to it! Lisa pursed her lips in a steeled manner._

_She was searching for any other item to use, any other solution, when there was an unwelcome interruption. “What do you think you’re doing, Nurse Garland?” a sharp voice questioned from behind her. It was Doctor Kaufmann._

_Lisa turned around to face the intruder. Shit. She was really in trouble now. “Ah…I, uh, I was just…” Lisa scrambled for an explanation, trying to save any chance she had at pulling this off._

_Kaufmann narrowed his eyes at her in warning. “Step away from the patient, please,” he said harshly. He saw the pillow in her hands and frowned accordingly._

_There was a pause crackling with tension in the atmosphere._

_“No…” Lisa gathered her courage. “No, I’m not going to back away. I’m ending this nightmare,” she declared with great resolution._

_“Nurse Garland, you don’t know what you’re doing,” Kaufmann tried to reason with her, holding up his hands._

_“I know what I’m doing,” Lisa said, almost laughing hysterically in disbelief. “I’ve let you abuse me long enough! I’m going insane down here, and I’m letting you do it to me! I can’t believe I let you put me in this position,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief._

_Kaufmann was very still. “This patient is not what you think,” he said._

_“And you think that’s going to sway me?” Lisa asked in disbelief. “You abused her! And you abused me. You raped me. I can’t believe I let you do that to me,” she shook her head._

_“Lisa…”_

_“I can’t believe I ever thought you were a good, upstanding doctor,” Lisa said, shaking her head. “Is that how you get your thrills, holding power over people over life and death? Like a sadist in some torture dungeon?”_

_Kaufmann glared at her. “You don’t know anything about what’s going on. This goes far beyond any pedestrian thoughts you may have had. There are powers at work here that you don’t understand, and will never have any understanding of. I suggest you quit this conversation now, before you say something you regret,” he warned her._

_She looked back at the comatose girl. “And, I…” she paused, swallowing a lump. “I have to ask, why?” she asked in a small voice. She sounded lost, as if she hadn’t heard any of his previous words._

_Kaufmann smirked at her. “She is my ticket to power. She will grant me more power and wealth than you can possibly imagine. Her special abilities will make me a very rich man, or at least a powerful one. Not that you would understand that, involved as you are with your dreary, day-to-day existence,” he said disdainfully, regarding her as if she were a mere insect under his heel._

_Lisa had a realization. “You’re insane. You’re out of your fucking mind,” she realized._

_“Lisa…”_

_She glared at him. “You keep her chained up here like a corpse. You burned her alive! And now you try to justify it to me? You miserable, god-forsaken bastard,” she said, months of frustration suddenly exploding in one single moment._

_Kaufmann seemed to take offense at that. “I didn’t burn her at all! That was the Order. I merely took advantage of the situation,” he said, as if that excused everything._

_Lisa glared at him with gritted teeth. “You miserable, lying, rotten, selfish bastard! I ought to tell,” Lisa started, intending to tell him that she was going to expose everything, and that he was going to pay for what he did, and this Order that she didn’t know about was going to burn for what they did to this little girl. She was going to fuck them over, just as they fucked her over._

_He didn’t give her any chance. “Enough! You will do no such thing,” Kaufmann cut her off, glaring at her with a hardened smoldering look. “Come now, we both know this is a very special patient. She is not an ordinary little girl. She is the key to power. And you have absolutely no idea what is going on here. And you know you cannot go to the police and everyone else, and tell them what happened. No one will believe what happened.”Kaufmann’s face was passive, leering at her with a simple smile. He had her cornered. “So tell me, Lisa, why shouldn’t I do whatever I want with you? You will never leave this place. You have nowhere to go.” His tone was satisfied, smug. Kaufmann was smirking at her like a predator sizing up a prey, and the woman shuddered at the menacing confidence in his stance._

_Lisa stared in silent dread. She considered the ramifications of what he was saying. Police, paramedics, officials in the town, there was no one in the town that Kaufmann didn’t have influence over; his influence extended to every corner of the town through the drug trade and the normal activities that he undertook as a doctor, rendering him an esteemed member of the community. Oh God, he was literally in control of every part of the town, except for the parts controlled by the Order, whichever those were. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Lisa felt a shiver go down her spine. She was alone, entirely, utterly alone, in what was becoming an insane situation, and one that was possibly testing her sanity at every turn. She had to get out of here; find some way of getting the truth out to the public, and find someone, anyone who could help her._

_Lisa backed away from the hospital bed slowly. Kaufmann leered at her with a triumphant smirk, believing that he clearly had her outmaneuvered at every turn. Lisa shook her head in denial, backing away rapidly from the room. She was shaking all over, and she felt an urge to run deep in her bones stronger than she ever felt it before. She had to get out of here. “Nurse Garland,” a voice called out from behind her, as she frantically made her way away from the room. She was hurried in her motions, trying to quickly find an escape. She had to get out of this insanity, and go back home to someone who could help her. The instinct to run was indescribable. “Nurse Garland, come back!” Kaufmann started after her, in an attempt to exert authority over her. Lisa ignored the directive entirely, determined in her attempt to escape from this suffering infested hell. Caught up in escaping as she was, she didn’t notice him pull out something from his jacket, and load two small objects into a chamber._

_Lisa was running towards the storeroom when a forceful impact like nothing she had felt exploded behind her head. She felt like some blunt object had suddenly impacted her skull, and blown a part of her head from the backside of her skull. She tried to walk forward, but suddenly her vision was bleary, and she felt dizzy in her stance. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and it was not a good sign. She felt something warm and sticky making its way down her back, and she had the stirrings of a sudden, horrible realization. Before she could take another step, she collapsed on the ground, like a puppet with no more strings to hold her up. She tried to grasp at something on the ground, something only she could see, but she was rapidly losing consciousness, and the darkness was rapidly encroaching on her. She gave one last breath, and made one last attempt at life, before the struggle became too much. And then Lisa knew no more. Her last breath came with no fanfare; the darkness she had been fighting against had finally claimed her._

_Her last thought was of her charge, and the misery she still resided in._

_‘Alyssa, I’ve failed you.’_

_Kaufmann stared at the body of Lisa Garland, lying uselessly on the ground. Dahlia Gillespie came up behind him, wearing a frown on her wrinkled face._

_“She lays dead now in her own blood,” she observed, rather unnecessarily._

_“Yes, I know,” Kaufmann said, not bothering to deny it. It was obvious to anyone who was passing by that a portion of her skull had simply been blown open, and the massive pool of blood was rapidly growing under her. He’d have to do something about that._

_“We’ll have to find a replacement nurse for my daughter,” the woman said briskly, staring coldly at the body._

_“Yes, a shame. Pity that she couldn’t control herself,” Kaufmann said, almost regretfully as he stared at Lisa with something almost resembling pity. Lisa had been one of his favorites, but she had to go and start thinking for herself. That was the problem with them. People always had to go and think for themselves. Oh well. Business was business._

_The woman stared at the body. “She took care of my daughter for a significantly long time,” she said curiously, her voice almost tinged with worry._

_The concerns were obvious on the older woman. Was another person going to do an equally good job?_

_“Don’t worry, there are more,” Kaufmann said, staring contemplatively at the corpse and considering it. He grinned._

_“There are always more.”_

_~_

_The movie was coming to an end, as the monitor in the hospital room showed signs of activity. The body on the bed remained unmoving, still lying entirely comatose like a patient with no hope. But it was only a façade. The squiggle on the monitor changed to a different shape, and the beeps on the machine came steadily louder as the monitor showed signs of increased activity. Had anyone been in the room, they would have thought that she was awakening. But they would be wrong. This wasn’t just awakening. It was an omen of retribution. Justice. An electric atmosphere began to build in the room, charging the air with an almost indescribable energy. Something was happening, and there were now going to be grave consequences for the staff in Alchemilla Hospital. The monitor began beeping rapidly._

Alessa watched as the last scene aired. She waited for the response. The classroom had gone deadly quiet after the movie. They had just been through an hour of unrelenting hell. Not in quality, of course, but in the intensity of the experience they were witnessing. The thing was that every single thing on that tape was true. And there were no happy endings. It wasn’t the quality of the film she was concerned of. She knew she was good, but she wasn’t sure how effective she had been at trying to convey the message she had wanted to. Alessa nervously shifted self-consciously in her stance. Suddenly, the sound of clapping was heard in the room. Lizzie was clapping in praise, with a big smile on her face. Gradually, the room began joining in, one by one, as the students woke up out of their stupor and realized what they had just seen. Soon the entire room was clapping, some of them giving a standing ovation, and even Mr. Maxwell was clapping while joining in the cheering of Alessa’s student film that almost resembled a professional independent movie.

Alessa smiled widely, and she felt a bit of moisture behind her eyes. Finally, for once, her past had come in handy. She had never been more proud of herself than she was at this moment. Perhaps the old saying was true. Through suffering, comes enlightenment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _AN: I figure Lisa had probably heard of Clive Barker, but she was too scared to read the author's stories themselves. Then Silent Hill happened, and she was out of the loop entirely for a while. Now that she's seen everything that Silent Hill has shown her, nothing Clive Barker has can scare her. It's an ironic twist of events! ;-D Remember that this is AU setting, so events have been moved up into more modern years in the timeline. So Lisa would have been familiar with Clive Barker's work, since it doesn't take place in the 80's, like Harry's Silent Hill does, in the canon. So Lisa doesn't get stuck in Silent Hill that early on; she lingers on for a little while longer, before meeting her fate. ;-D Got it? :)_
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> _*2: This was exactly my reaction after I first watched 'The Avengers'! ;-D It wasn't as dramatic as Alessa's reaction, but I was disappointed with the film. I definitely felt that there was something missing from it. It wasn't until the second viewing that I realized the brilliance of what Joss Whedon had done: he had essentially adapted 'Avengers #1' for the modern age. It really is one of those films that you have to view two times to fully appreciate. :-) Even the jokes seemed funnier on second glance! I wanted Alessa to be disappointed with an adaptation of something she loved. The first thought is obviously one of the classic stories she read, but those all have plenty of great adaptations. It just wouldn't have the same impact. But comic book movies are a different matter. There are plenty of bad ones around, and it is much easier to find a modern example for the story use. And this definitely impacts her. Alessa is very much a comic book junkie in this reality. Chris is also a big comic book buff, and it disappoints him that the movie doesn't live up to his expectations. We also get to see a bit of Chris in this vignette, away from his role in 'Ascension of the Damned' (on FF.net), where he's pretty much a man with no memory being hunted by Walter Sullivan as merely one of several victims._
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>  _*3: Yes, there is an actual Ontario film festival. There are several film festivals in Ontario actually, but for the sake of story brevity, I generalized it down to just one. :-) Alessa doesn't really have many detailed plans in terms of entering it just yet, and she'd rather not waste time explaining the different various details of each one to the class at this point. This is a school of rich kids, and I imagine them resembling the ones found on the 'Gilmore Girls' series in terms of the various ones. How did Alessa make a movie for $5000? Her dad called in a lot of favors, of course! ;-D So they filmed in an abandoned hospital after getting permission, the nurse playing Lisa is a friend of her dad's who did her dad a favor, the Otherworld effects were created by pushing blood through the walls and covering the walls in grime and filth, and with some minor digital trickery, and the other actors appearing are just people doing cameos for very little money. So overall it was a very low-budget production, like the way I imagine Don Coscarelli filming his productions. I imagine Alessa becoming a very talented filmmaker here, after she goes to school and gets some more experience. Dialogue is her greatest weakness here, since she doesn't really know what really happened to Lisa. Remember, Alessa has no idea what really happened to Lisa at this point, she's just guessing at what happened to Lisa while they were in the hospital. She won't find out until much later in "Dark Descent", when they meet in the motel room. "Through suffering comes enlightenment" is a very old Buddhist proverb that I stumbled onto on the Internet. I was searching for something that would convey the understanding that Alessa now had, as a result of going through all that pain, and this came in rather handy for story purposes. Alessa is very well read. ;-) Though her memory fails her at times. (in case there are any inconsistencies)_


	2. Vignettes - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Disclaimer: Silent Hill and all its characters doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Konami, who are apparently getting out of the console business. I make no money off this._
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> _AN: Yes, this is mushy, and sentimental. But, a little mush once in a while isn't a bad thing. I make no apologies about it. ;-)_

**4\. Trust**

 

The two women stood meters away from each other. Both were dressed sharply, one of them in a semi-formal blazer and pant suit, and the other in sharp business attire.

Alessa stepped forward with an unsettled step. This was what she’d been dreading all along. She’d tried to avoid it as long as she could, but now the hammer had dropped and there was no escape from what was happening.

Kayla had found out what had happened in Silent Hill.

The two women were separated by only a few feet at this point. The blonde woman stepped forward, looking very intimidating in her features. She radiated menace in every inch of her stance. Her hardened eyes and firmed lips reminded Alessa that although she looked slight, this woman had killed more people in her lifetime than probably her father and his unit combined. And the way her arms were crossed across her chest let her know that she was not amused by the situation and she meant business. She was here with a purpose.

Alessa maintained her calm stance on the surface, but on the inside she was panicking. She should have told her, she should have told her, she kept repeating over and over in her mind, mentally grabbing her head and shaking it in her hands repeatedly. She would have avoided this whole mess otherwise. But now there was no escape.

The woman closed the distance between them, with a focused step, one at a time.

Alessa kept waiting for the hammer to drop. She kept wondering what Kayla was going to do, how she was going to punish this betrayal of their relationship; the tension was unbearable. Her heart beat loudly in her ears at every second. It was like a string was being stretched in either direction, and was primed to snap at the maximum tension.

Finally, it broke.

The slap came harder than she expected; virtually out of nowhere. It sent her head back to the side. Alessa winced wildly, with an open-mouthed expression and her eyes screwed shut. She couldn’t even bring her hand up to her cheek to protect the area. The stinging sensation throughout her cheek was blinding, and left her face feeling numb almost simultaneously; she could almost feel the tears building behind her eyes. She had not been slapped that hard even by Lisa, after she tried to commit suicide in Silent Hill. The effect was astonishing.

To Alessa’s surprise, Kayla hugged her tight, crushing her body against her in a tight embrace. Her grip was like iron, with Alessa standing there in mute surprise, as Kayla held her as close to her personal space as possible. This was the most affection she had ever received from Kayla, ever.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Kayla kissed at her, holding her tightly to her chest, like she was clinging to her for dear life. It was like she was afraid Alessa would disappear from her, lest she not release her from her hold. Alessa could hear the worry in the older woman’s voice, the sickening dread over what had happened, and it was something that was immensely shocking to Alessa. She didn’t know that Kayla had cared so much about her. She had always just thought of her as her dad’s sister, and there was nothing much more to them than that. The thought made Alessa sick; that she had caused this, made the woman sick with worry and nearly drove her to a breakdown. It was an amazing thought, that she of all things had shattered the protective covering Kayla maintained around herself at all times, oh-so-thoroughly. “You should have come to me, and asked me for my help. I would have helped you,” the older woman said, and it almost sounded like her voice was breaking on those last syllables, out of the strain of keeping herself together. Maybe it was a trick of her imagination, Alessa thought, because the thought of Kayla crying in any way was nearly impossible.

“I – I’m sorry, I, uh, I didn’t think…” Alessa was at a loss to explain herself. How could she explain the jumble of emotions that had been going through her mind at the time, amid so much chaos? She had no clear reason to keep Kayla away from the town and herself, except emotional ones. Kayla was well trained, experienced, and versatile in the situations she found herself in. Alessa should have trusted her to help her. Why had she turned her away, when all the evidence to the contrary pointed to the fact that she should have asked her to help her?

Kayla sighed deeply, holding onto her patience somehow. “Alessa, I know we don’t get along really well. We’re too different. We don’t have much in common at all with each other. But we’re still family, and I’m obligated to do everything in my power to help you if you ever need it. I love you, and I don’t ever want to see you get hurt in any way, if I can do anything in any way to prevent it,” she said, her voice cracking a bit on that last sentence. When she had heard what happened to Alessa, the sensation it had caused – it was like she was having a heart attack. The pain in her chest was so severe, it was like the strongest punch to the stomach one could have received, radiating outwards into her chest and throughout her entire body. The thought that she might have lost her niece and not known it, and she had been in a position to help all along, had sent a pain through her heart that she had never known. Kayla was terrified, for one single moment, and that was not a thing that happened often.

“I…I didn’t want you to get involved in this. You’ve been through so much already. I thought…” Alessa trailed off, not knowing how to explain herself. Even now, she found herself questioning the decision she had made back all those weeks ago. Why did she ever think lying to Kayla and excluding her from this was a good idea? Kayla would have been a great use to her in the town, and yet Alessa had excluded her from this based on what she perceived to be the truth – that Kayla could not handle this. And that the town would react badly to her. Was it really concern for her? Or was it arrogance, that Alessa thought she could handle everything herself?

“So you thought you would leave me to find my brother dead, in his house?” Kayla demanded, sounding outraged and accusing. “Can you imagine if that had happened? And what about Julie? I love that woman, more than almost anyone else in the world. She was…she was one of the first people to truly understand me,” Kayla cut herself off, feeling emotional. “To find her dead in this house…” she accused. She sounded angry, and by God she had a right to be. Chris and his wife were two of the pillars holding up her precarious social situation at times. She had been in bad shape before she met her brother, and even worse shape before she was taken in by their family. Kayla knew full well there were times when, if she hadn’t had the support of her brother and her sister-in-law, she would have blown her head off long ago. If she had found them dead here, without any forewarning from Alessa…that would have killed her.

Alessa felt a stab of shame at the realization, further rubbing it in. Because she was right – and it pained her to realize how thoughtless she had been. How had she ever thought to do that to her own family…it boggled her as to how arrogant and inconsiderate she had been with regard to Kayla’s feelings. Douglas had tried to warn her, but she had thoughtlessly dismissed him at the time; only now did she realize how right the old man was. Such a thing would have been cruel beyond words – to let a family member find a relative dead in their house without warning. She couldn’t believe she had ever considered it seriously.

“I’m…I’m sorry. I…I didn’t want them to do anything to you,” Alessa admitted, stuttering helplessly with the emotion that was overwhelming her. “You were all I had left. If something were to happen to you…” she trailed off. And now they finally got to the heart of the matter. The truth was that Alessa was terrified that something would happen to Kayla. That was why she kept her far away from the town. At the time, with the seeming death of her loved ones, it appeared that Kayla was the last shreds of a family that she had left. If something had happened to her…Alessa would have no reason to come back. She might as well have blown her brains out in the town, because there would have been no reason whatsoever for her to come back home. She absolutely, under any circumstances whatsoever, did not want to be alone.

Kayla’s face softened into an expression of compassion. They were swept up in a hug, holding onto each other tightly in a spontaneous burst of care and desperation, in what was probably the first bout of real closeness they had ever shared. Alessa didn’t know who moved first; probably her aunt, and neither did she care, but it was something that she desperately needed. She didn’t shed any tears, and neither did her aunt, but her hands were trembling, and they definitely needed some reassurance at this point. Trust: that was what it ultimately came down to. She had never had an abundance of people in her life she had been able to trust. She couldn’t trust her natural family, the authorities, organized religion, and she sure as hell didn’t trust ‘normal’ people, because of how much they had hurt her. And that had ultimately played havoc in Alessa’s life, when it came to forming relationships later on in her life. She hadn’t trusted her first girlfriend, despite the closeness they shared, and that had led to the girl being murdered, because Alessa had not been there to protect her. She had always tried to do things on her own, for the longest time she could remember, without help from anyone, because the people around her were so unreliable. And that sometimes had unintended consequences on those closest to her. It seemed not much had changed on that front.

But now she wasn’t alone anymore. She had a family, and friends and loved ones who would die for her if it became a necessity. Maybe it was time to stop trying to do everything on her own, and start relying more on the people around her. Kayla was proof enough of that. The woman may not have been super close to her, but she cared, and she was willing to help her. Why push her away when it wasn’t necessary? She wasn’t alone, and she had people she could rely on to help her, when once there was a time when she could only help herself. Not everybody was out to hurt her, and Kayla wasn’t Dahlia and her kind. She was distant, but she wasn’t cruel, and she obviously loved her, if her current reaction was anything to go by. Maybe it was time to let her in a bit more, and start relying on her for more things; Alessa had to admit, she could have made more of an effort with getting to know the woman – it wasn’t totally Kayla’s fault. This was a fair wake-up call for Alessa. She could rely on others, and not have it turn out completely disastrous; and she could also trust others to take care of themselves and not worry about them constantly, whether she was putting them at risk with her mere presence there in their lives. That was always tough to take.

She leaned into the embrace, hugging the other woman tight and allowing her to hold her in her comforting warmth. She wasn’t alone anymore. She could trust other people. It was a lesson she would have to learn in the next few years, and one she would have to keep repeating to herself over and over until it sunk into her mind. Especially since she now had Lisa relying on her, and she needed to allow the other woman to handle some things herself. It felt good to have someone take care of her for a while. She still had amends to make, though. “I’m so sorry,” she muttered against Kayla’s chest, her voice nearly in a sob against the jacket. And though the other woman wouldn’t respond immediately, she felt the other woman’s grip become a little tighter, her hands clench around her back a little firmer, a sure sign in Alessa’s mind that Kayla had forgiven her. They stayed that way for a while, neither one of them willing to let go of the newfound closeness they had achieved. After the hell of the past few weeks, they deserved a little time to themselves. Everything else could wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _AN: I'm thinking the next story featuring Kayla will be showing her in action, showing what would have happened had she joined Douglas and the others...and that maybe Alessa's fears weren't as unfounded. ;-)_


	3. Vignettes - Part 3: Resources

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** So, Silent Hill is dead. Metal Gear is dead, and the other series are sure to follow. However, we still have our memories at least. Nonetheless, the series still belong to Konami.
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> _AN: Okay, so I lied. The next vignette isn't Walter Sullivan. Instead, I'm posting a story with my original character and Cybil first. This takes place during the early chapters in Dark Descent, while Alessa is still exploring the corridors of the town, trying to get home. You can take a shot at this first, and see if you like it. :-) Then we get Walter Sullivan._
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> _This started out as a rather lighthearted posting, intended to confuse Cybil for a bit, before it took a turn into a darker train of thought. That seems to happen a lot with my writing. I start out writing something intended to be humorous, or a joke, and it quickly turns serious. I wonder if that's my mind trying to tell me something. :P This is a slight crossover, but I won't tell you what series it is. That should become obvious quickly enough. There's also a name change for the story, to match the title of a track on the Silent Hill 3 soundtrack. I figure it's more appropriate. ;)_

15\. Resources

Cybil and Julie bounded up the stairs. They made sure the door was locked behind them, and rushed through the rooms. They had little time to lose, and needed to move quickly through the house. That Executioner was on them, and it meant business. The house had turned into a labyrinth, and the outside was riddled with tunnels and passages, which was surprising for such a ‘small’ house – it wasn’t the largest house they had ever lived in, in Julie’s case, leaving only the core of the house intact. They didn’t dare venture too deep into the labyrinth, with its tunnels and dark pits – and that made avoiding the Executioner all the more difficult. They knew that they couldn’t let that thing catch up to them, under any circumstances. If that creature caught up to them, they were dead. That great knife that it could sling with such force was formidable, and they didn’t have it in them to take this creature out between the two of them.

Once again, Julie wondered why this creature was even making an appearance. The creature was only supposed to appear to people who had committed some grave sin, and in different forms. There was no sin being committed in this household – at least ones that mattered, so why was it working with Claudia? Wasn’t it supposed to be above such ‘petty’ human concerns like revenge and personal grudges? What was the point?

Maybe there was no point. Maybe it just wanted to brutally pursue and kill them over what they had supposedly done to the Order, for its own sadistic pleasure. There was a cheery thought.

Cybil abruptly paused for a moment. “Stop for a moment. I need to regather my energy,” she said, breathing hard and slightly covered in sweat over her underarms. Julie raised an eyebrow inquiringly. For a cop, Cybil seemed slightly out of shape. It looked like she couldn’t run more than 15 minutes without getting winded. Julie frowned slightly to herself, while the corners of her lips also twisted upwards into a gesture of amusement. Maybe she had been riding that motorcycle for too long. Not that she was looking particularly unappealing, Julie thought, staring admiringly at Cybil’s trimmed blonde hair and sweat drenched form. She couldn’t help but admire her. She would love to eat her out, and watch her cry out in pleasure; oh yes, Julie would definitely love to take a moment and ‘explore’ with this woman’s body…she could understand why Alessa succumbed to that temptation and crossed the boundary between her and ‘Aunt’ Cybil, into something more. But now wasn’t the time for it. They were in very real danger, and they needed to work together to get out of here. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire, indeed. That thing wasn’t playing around. Julie didn’t even want to imagine what it would do to them if it caught them.

“This is impossible. How are we going to escape from that thing?” Cybil proclaimed, wiping the sweat from her brow. She was still breathing hard, but her tired body had calmed down a little. “Everywhere we run to, there it is. And movement in this house is limited. Eventually we’re going to run into a hallway and it’s going to corner us. And we can’t use guns; bullets barely put a dent in that thing,” Cybil threw up her arms in exasperation and annoyance. Panic was starting to set into her eyes. Julie could see the fear in her eyes and it wasn’t good. The cop was slowly losing control, and her highly disciplined training was failing her. She had probably never faced an opponent like this before. Julie understood that, but she couldn’t afford to have the cool-headed cop lose her composure now. She needed Cybil at her side ready to defend her, not cowering behind her in fear and going pulling-at-her-hair type of crazy from the distressing situation.

“Well?” Cybil demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

Julie thought hard about their situation. They were trapped in a limited, enclosed space. They were facing an enemy that was powerful, and they didn’t have enough ammo between the two of them to even stun it into submission, never mind kill it. There were only a few places they could go to, and they had already been to all of them, almost. Yep, that about summed it up. They were knee-deep in this one, and it wasn’t looking like there were too many options at their disposal. Julie knew she had to stay alive for Alessa, and she knew the temperamental girl would be absolutely crushed if she allowed something to happen to Cybil.

They were running out of time and options. Something needed to be done, and it needed to happen soon before that thing caught up to them. They needed a plan, but unfortunately Julie wasn’t the best at tactical support, and the cop behind her was gradually losing her grip on things.

Julie frowned deeply to herself, with a near-scowl on her face. She needed to get out of here, and save the life of the woman next to her in the process. That meant using whatever resources were available at her disposal, including ones she really didn’t wish her husband and daughter had accumulated in the first place. The situation left her no choice.

She rushed into the room. “Hey, where are you going?” Cybil called out from behind her, but Julie didn’t listen to her. She never stopped as she headed straight for her destination, which she knew would contain what she needed. This room was one of the few rarely used rooms in the house, and for good reason. It served as a spare room for some guests outfitted with a dresser and a bed, and a closet, technically, but it had since been put to another use, while they built a storeroom downstairs. They never hoped they would actually have to use what was stored in here.

Finally, Cybil caught up to her.

“What are you looking for?” Cybil asked her exasperatedly, watching as the other woman rifled through the drawers. Julie ignored her, instead choosing to focus on the more important task at hand. She pulled out a small wooden box. It was about the size of a moderately sized jewelry box. She flipped open the locks on the box, and pulled out a small silver sphere about twice the size of her hand. Cybil’s eyes widened as she saw the object the brunette had pulled out, and her mind seemed to have stopped functioning.

“What the - ?” Cybil paused, wondering how on Earth this was going to help them get out of their situation.

Her husband had told her to always keep this object locked up tightly, and to only use it in case of an emergency. Julie wasn’t sure what emergency he was envisioning when he said that, but she was pretty sure this qualified. She knew she had to exercise firm control over the orb, if it was to obey her command.

Julie held up the shiny silver ball in the light. “Down,” Julie told the sphere in a rough voice, as it shook uncontrollably in her hand. The sphere trembled for a moment, before finally settling down and obeying her command. Julie held the sphere tightly in her right hand, still not willing to take any chances. With her free hand, she grabbed a paper and pen, and set about scribbling something down. Cybil watched as she drew a crude figure on the paper, and then showed it to the sphere.

“Find this being,” Julie told the sphere tersely, making sure the sphere got a good look at the figure on the paper, “and kill him,” she said, knowing that the sphere could still ‘see’ the drawing on the paper. The sphere seemed to shake in response, then accepted the order. The sphere lifted out of her hand, and to Cybil’s amazement, went flying off in pursuit of its target. Julie stared at the departing sphere with a grim satisfaction. She knew the little mind inside would make sure to accomplish its mission, no matter what stood in its way.

“Will that thing kill him?” Cybil asked incredulously in amazement.

Julie smiled grimly to herself. She already knew. “No,” she shook her head in slight despair, “but it will slow him down. That might give us the time we need to take him down,” she answered in the negative. She already knew the little sphere was destined to fail in its mission, but it was the time she was counting on. Time, gained from the attacking object defending them, that maybe they could use to figure out the way to possibly take this thing down.

The darker haired woman turned her attention towards their next destination. As they moved, Cybil wondered not for the first time what Alessa had been through in these past six years. How did she have access to such resources? What kind of life did she lead? What did it say about Julie, that she was comfortable with these things that her husband and daughter had brought back, when any other sane human being probably would have been freaked out? And she knew the sphere was Alessa’s, or at least it was probably Alessa’s; the girl had told her during their time together of the various items she had gathered during her adventures, and though she hadn’t mentioned this particular item, Cybil had no doubt that it was one of the items she and her dad had collected together.

If she were honest with herself, Cybil didn’t want to know. She also wondered what would have happened if she had insisted on taking Alessa and raising her herself, all those years ago, instead of sending her off with her supposed dad that she barely knew; if she would have avoided this insane series of events she had suffered throughout her life, and lived a normal life as a student. Or would she be dead? Cybil had to admit, she wouldn’t have had the ability to repel an intense attack, if the Order tried to claim her as their own.

Alessa lived in a weird world, and she had access to resources Cybil couldn’t imagine. But those resources were also something beyond the means of ordinary people, and they had come at a price. They were a reminder: they were a reminder that Alessa had never lived, and would never live a normal life. Cybil wondered if there was anything she could have done to change that.

Cybil shook away the thoughts. There were other things to concentrate on at the moment, and it wasn’t dwelling on past events. She followed Julie through the hallways as they ran from the direction the sphere was heading. There wasn’t much room to maneuver in the house, but there was some. With any luck, maybe that thing would be able to hold off their pursuer long enough for them to figure out something.

She wasn’t going to allow herself to consider any other alternative; one way or another, they were going to get out of here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _AN: In case you're wondering, I figure the spheres have some intelligence, and that's why they can track their targets over such long distances. However, you have to be very specific with them. If you just tell them to kill an intruder in the house, they may kill anyone who comes into the house, even if they're good. If you try to describe the intruder to them, that may prove a little...complicated for them. Since we know the spheres can see in some kind of infrared vision, however, I figure showing them a picture of a target might be a good way of keeping them on track. As to whether it's successful...well, you know it isn't, unfortunately. :-/_


End file.
